The first sea turtle nests of 2014 have been recorded, including a report that a Kemp's ridley sea turtle — the rarest of all sea turtle species — nested on a Venice Beach on May 9.

Thanks to Venice resident Adam Sando, who shot video of the sea turtle as it nested and then contacted Mote to share what was happening, Mote biologists were able to document this exciting nester.

“Adam did everything right,” said Kristen Mazzarella, senior biologist with Mote’s Sea Conservation and Research Program. “He observed the turtle from a safe distance, didn't interfere with the turtle's nesting and shared the news with us at Mote so we could document this rare Kemp's ridley nest.”

Unlike loggerhead sea turtles, which nest at night, Kemp’s ridleys nest during the day. They also weigh less than loggerhead sea turtles, so the tracks that they leave behind after nesting are often obscured by the time Sea Turtle Patrollers are on a beach the following morning. That’s why reports like Sando’s are so important.